Good Morning Brave hearts.  Do you feel the call to the wild today?  This great day is set aside for you to enjoy and to explore the fabulous system of national trails throughout the country.  A day for exploration, for rejuvenation, to connect to nature, to encounter the beauty, the splendor, the grandeur and the persona of a wonderful, immense country, with an beautiful multitude of trails.  The artist, the athlete, the nature lover, the photographer,  the environmentalist, the hiker, the walker, runner, the adventurer, young and old, differing fitness levels,  all enjoy our spectacular scenery and the awesome call of the wild.

To be so fortunate as to be able to hike a trail to a protected place, a special place, a place of natural or cultural significance.  A place of wonder, of immense beauty.  A place where only the few adventurous humans have the delight to travel.  A nature trail, or an historic trail, a guided trail.   Nonetheless, a trail of significance.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jasper-Trail-Alliance/168509399845259

Worthy human, you chose this trail of significance yourselves.  These are the worthwhile paths of discovery, to destinations superb, that you chose as special, protected, significant.  These destinations are your own call to adventure.

To enjoy the beauty of this great land is a privilege for most of us.  The vast system of parklands offer a diverse opportunity for all of us to experience the grandeur of nature.  That distant lake with its variety of birds, the forest with its singing songbirds, the flowers, the animals, the smell!  The trail takes you to a destination of unique cultural heritage.

Count the flowers, watch the birds, try geocaching, participate in an event.  How you get there is up to you.  You can walk, mountain bike or ride a horse, paddle a river or a lake.  The enjoyment of the trails is a national pastime.

Step off the busy sidewalk and venture into the parklands. Meet the specialists with events from hiking organizations as listed below.  Nature and its beauty are the pride of our land.  This national heritage is for all of us.

http://www.canadatrails.ca/hiking/hk_evca.html

http://www.americanhiking.org/national-trails-day/

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

June 1, 2013